More Than a Building: Supporting Rural CommunitiesHow the 2026 Community Centres Investment Fund is helping local groups breathe new life into the heart of rural Ireland.
In the heart of rural Ireland, where houses are scattered across the landscape and the next town over can feel miles away, there’s a vital organ that helps sustain local life. It's often unassuming: a repurposed schoolhouse, a sturdy hall from the 1970s - but it's often the anchor of the community.
Beyond the bricks and the mortar, we see the people who make it what it is: the people who hold coffee mornings for the over-65s, who run the parent-and-toddler group that can be a lifeline for a new mother, the youth workers that create safe places for young peopleand those that organise the local Men’s Shed tackling mental health over a wood-turning lathe. Community centres are an essential service, a space where the invisible threads of community can be woven together.
For years, many of these centres have done extraordinary work on shoe-string budgets and the kindness of volunteers, in cold, drafty buildings that are no longer fit for purpose. That’s why the Community Centres Investment Fund is so crucial. This fund offers up to €100,000 for local groups to breathe new life into their existing spaces.
We believe the most successful community centres are those that don’t just repair the past but help create a more beautiful future. Ballyforan in County Roscommon is an example of a rural commuter village whose population has risen significantly and now needs its community infrastructure to catch up. Our design focuses on the historic coach house ruin on the Claremont Grounds. Together with the local community, our aim is to restore it to its former glory so it becomes the heart of the new centre.
Inside its walls will be a club house, games room, a crèche, gym, a sports hall and a communal living room. These spaces are designed to encourage people to linger, to have a chat and to connect with their neighbours. By reusing a historic building, we respect our heritage and give it new life. By creating flexible, modern spaces, we meet the needs of today.
The 2026 Community Centres Investment Fund is an opportunity for every rural communities to create their own version of this heart. The portal for applications opens on Friday May 29th 2026. If you are part of a community group with a vision for your local centre, make sure you apply!